The Organ Coordination Office began its activities on 1 January 2007 as a new department under the control of the Deputy Director of HNBTS. The director of OCO is responsible for operational management. The Office centrally coordinates all Hungarian organ procurement processes, therefore establishing and operating three levels of
donor-transplant coordination.
Five national coordinators work on the first level in the central office to receive all donor reports from all Hungarian hospitals at a toll-free number. They maintain contact between the donor hospital and all other involved parties, and perform coordination from the donor report through organ procurement.
Six regional clinical coordinators work on the second level in transplant centers, continuing coordination after the procurement through the transplant. The establishment of hospital coordination has just started involving currently 8 hospitals, and we plan to reach 45 collaborating hospitals within the next 3 years, with the support of the
Ministry of Human Resources.
The OCO represents Hungary in EU co-funded projects (DOPKI, COORENOR, MODE, ACCORD) as associated partner and/or work package leader. The OCO was highly involved in the Hungarian implementation process of the 2010/53/EU directive on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation.
The main function of the OCO is to coordinate all Hungarian organ procurements, the Office is open for:
- a 24/7 duty to receive donor reports,
- estimating the suitability of donors and all transplantable organs using the first available information,
- informing the competent transplant centres about the possible donor organ and organizing the organ procurement and transport process.
Other tasks:
- donation promotion program, for example the hospital visit program,
- organization and performance of accredited training programmes for professionals involved in the organ donation process,
- keeping involved hospitals, transplant centres and other health service providers informed,
- educating the public regularly through the mass media.
Activity in 2011:
- 234 organ donor reports,
- 131 actual cadaver donors (41% MOD rate),
- 349 procured organs intended for transplant,
- 269 organ transplantation (all procured lungs were transplanted in Vienna according to existing twinning and 47 more from living donors),
- 2,66 procured and 2,33 utilized organs/donor,
- 58 donor hospitals,
- 6 transplant centers,
- 2 HLA tissue typing laboratories (within the HNBTS).
